Love is Where You Least Expect It
by ficwriter4
Summary: LaleyNeyton...Takes place right after season 2 finalie. Haley comes back to Tree Hill, but when Nathan doesn't take her back, her and Luke become the way they used to
1. Chapter 1

"Haley…what are you doing here?" Nathan asked in a confused tone.

"I came here to be with you." She responded softly.

He started to shake his head, "No…no Haley, you can't just come back here and expect me to just take just take you back. It doesn't work like that!" He shouted as he started to shut the door, but she stopped him.

"Then how does it work? Yes I left, but I'm here now." She pleaded as tears started to fall down her face.

He sighed and looked into her brown eyes. They were filled with sadness. For a minute he felt like hugging her and welcoming her back, but he knew that he couldn't do that. They weren't meant to be together and their love wasn't the same anymore.

"Your too late Haley. We're annulled and I'm moving on…you should too." And with that, he shut the door.

She stood there crying. Thinking to her that she has nowhere to go now. No one would probably want to see her after what she did. They probably all hated her for what she did to Nathan. There was one person though; one person that she knew would take her back. She had to find him…she had to find Lucas.


	2. Chapter 2

Luke stroked her hair and allowed Peyton to cry into his chest.

"I'm so sorry, Peyton. I just can't believe that Jake would leave again." He couldn't think of what else to say or how to make her feel better about this situation.

She lifted her head from him, "It's not just that, Luke…this lady, she umm…she came to my door and she told me that she was my mother." She looked away, for some reason she didn't want to face him.

"What? But that's not possible, I mean, your mom died. This is probably just a misunderstanding."

"Yea, I know. She was probably just some weirdo or something. But for some reason, it just got me freaked out. I mean what if some guy came to your door and said that he was really your dad and Dan wasn't?"

He laughed, "Well I would probably cry, but with tears of joy…are you sure your ok Peyton?" He asked rubbing her back. She nodded.

She wasn't sure why she didn't tell Luke the whole story. The whole story that the lady told her. The story that actually made her wonder what was the truth. Maybe she didn't tell Luke because there was something blocking her from doing that. Maybe it was because she was afraid that if she did, then she would start to trust Luke and the feelings they had would rekindle. This was something she was sure that she didn't want to happen.

"Lucas? Peyton?" They heard a small voice call from behind them. Their heads turned around and they saw her.

"Hales………..you came back!" Lucas said excitingly as he stood up and walked fastly to her. He grabbed her in his arms and his warmth surrounded her.

"I came back," She whispered as they continued to embrace each other.

"Ummm, you guys? I'm going to go, you guys should be here alone." Peyton said as Haley and Lucas separated. "Welcome back Haley."

"Thanks." She said giving her a small smile.

"Peyton, are you going to be ok?" Luke asked her, concerned.

"Yea, I just need to be by myself" She said. She gave a small wave and continued to walk away.

Luke looked back at Haley, smiling. His best friend was back. But his smile soon disappeared as he noticed that she had tears in her eyes.

"Haley, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"

"Oh nothing, I guess I'm just overwhelmed by being back here." She started to turn and walk, "Let's go, I want to go see your mom…."

"That's crap, Hales" Luke interpreted her, "I can tell when your lying so next time you want to, don't lie to me, your best friend. Now tell me what happened. Was it Nathan?" He asked, concerned.

She looked down at the sand as she felt the tears well up in her eyes. She nodded her head slowly because she knew she couldn't lie to Lucas. "I went to him and he said that we were over and he's moving on and that I should too."

Lucas pulled her into him and began to stroke her soft, brown hair.

"Hales, I'm so sorry."

"It's all my fault, god, I have no one now." She said as she sobbed into him. He pulled her closer.

"That's not true Haley, because you have me. You always have and you always will. You're my best friend and there's no way your leaving me again because it was hell without you. He whispered softly into her ear.

She whispered in his ear, "I could never leave you again, Luke, because it was hell for me too."


	3. Chapter 3

Peyton walked and walked and before she knew it, she was standing outside of Nathan's house. She wondered how he was, what with Haley being back in Tree Hill and all. Then a memory popped into her head. One that she hadn't thought about in a very long time, and one that still to this day made her have butterflies in her stomach….

_Peyton walked into Nathan's house without even ringing the doorbell. She had become so accustomed with doing this. After all, her and Nathan had been together for almost a year. Nathan had called her earlier that evening, telling her to meet him up in his room for a surprise. She came as fast as she could, knowing that this was something that didn't happen very often._

"_Nathan?" She called from the outside of his door._

"_Yea…. come on in." He called back. When she opened the door, there were candles light all over and rose pedals on the bed. And then she saw him…. He was standing right by the door and she hadn't even noticed him._

"_Nathan? What is this? I don't get it…." She was stopped by him putting his hand over her mouth._

"_Peyton, I just wanted to do this for you." He said softly. She looked at him, really trying to see what he meant. There must be something in it for him._

"_Nate…. this is really sweet and all, well it **seems** really sweet, but if I know you, then there must be something in it for you." He walked over to the bed and sat down at the edge._

"_Peyton, your right, there is something that I get from this, and that is that I get to spend time with you… I feel like I hardly do." He said sincerely, looking away. _

_She was surprised, she of course knew that he was a good guy, but it was rare. She went over and sat down by him on the bed._

"_So your telling me that this little plan of yours wasn't to get into my pants?" She said smirking. And he began to laugh as well._

"_Peyton, I feel like that's all we do sometimes… tonight I just want to talk to you."_

_And that is just what they did…. they talked for hours and then they fell asleep together._

The whole time that Peyton was with Nathan, everyone just assumed that they were only in it for the sex. And for some reason she would just go along with it. Of course a lot of the time, sex did seem like the only reason they were together, but before basketball and before Nathan felt like he had to impress all of the guys, he was the only person she could talk to. And then right when she was thinking of ending the relationship, Nathan did something like that for her, and she realized that he needed her maybe even more then she needed him.

So she went up to the door, and rang the doorbell for once. She could hear him coming to the door, and for some reason her stomach filled with butterflies. He opened the door and smiled.

"Peyton…. I thought that you were going to be someone else. What are doing outside… you always just walk in." He said smirking.

"Yea well I thought that things were different now so maybe I shouldn't." She told him as she walked into the house and he shut the door.

"Yea well next time, just come in, I like it better that way." He said as he led her upstairs into his room. "So what brings you here?"

"Umm… I was just wondering how you were doing, I mean I saw Haley and I just figured that she had been here…." She said carefully, not wanting to make him mad, but he just turned around and ignored the question, "Nathan?"

"Yea… you know, I'm fine, I really am." He said, still not looking at her.

"Are you sure?" she asked, knowing that he was lying. He turned around and looked at her. She saw it then, his eyes were sad and not the same as they usually were.

"No, I'm not fine. Haley always does this, she thinks that she can just come back and everything will be fine between us, but it's not and it never will be. I just want it to go back to how it used to be, I want to stop being sad about her and stop thinking about her. I want to move on," She walked over to him and hugged him. "I want to move on, Peyton," He said softly. "I know, Nate, I know," She told him.

They separated and he walked over to his bed and sat down at the edge, "I'm sorry about that Peyton…But I couldn't help but notice that you seemed kind of sad when you walked in. Is it because of Jake leaving again?" She walked over and sat down next to him, something compelled her to tell him everything about her mom and the lady claiming to be her mom. How the lady said that she got pregnant with Peyton's dad and when she gave birth to her, she freaked out and left her with her dad. Her dad got married and the lady she always thought was her birth mother adopted her. But then she died… leaving Peyton with no mother, until now. Peyton didn't know why she could tell Nathan all of this, and not Luke. Maybe it was because for some reason, she always felt more comfortable with him.

"Oh my god, Peyton… I don't know what to say. I'm sorry, this must be really confusing for you to hear." He said, as he looked her in the eye.

"Yea it is…. Hey, don't you have the High Flyers camp coming up?" She asked, wanting to change the subject.

He nodded his head, "Yep, that's why I'm packing because I leave tomorrow."

"What? Tomorrow? Great, now I really am all by myself. I mean Brooke is gone, Luke is going to be best friends with Haley, my dad is never here, and Jake left me again, and now your leaving for two months. And of course you leave right when we start to talk and hang out and have fun together again. And now I'll actually really miss you." She ended, smiling at him.

"Thanks… I think. I know what you mean. I just can't stay in Tree Hill for the summer." She nodded showing that she felt the same way.

"Hey! Come with me!" he said standing up all of a sudden.

"What? Nathan, what are you talking about?" she said surprisingly.

"Yea, I mean you're alone here, and lets face it, this town sucks with out me. Plus you don't want to be here either. Come on, it's a great idea. I mean, I'll play basketball and you can stay at the same hotel that I'm staying at. And when I'm not playing basketball, we'll be together. It would be awesome!" She stood up and walked next to him.

"That's a good idea, but I don't think I could. Plus, I would just be a disturbance to you, and you don't need that. I think I'll just stay here." She said walking to the door, "I'll come say good bye tomorrow, ok?"

He nodded, "but Peyton, you would never be a disturbance to me… just think about it, ok?"

She smiled at him, "Ok" and she walked out.

**What do you guys think? Will Peyton go? Will she stay? What do you think?**

**REVIEW… please!**


	4. Chapter 4

"Are you sure you're ok, Hales?" Luke asked concerned, considering that she hadn't really said anything ever since they got back to Luke's house from the beach that night.

"Yes, Lucas, how many times do I have to tell you? I'm just tired. Ok?" She responded to him, harshly. When she saw that his face looked hurt, she immediately regretted it. " I'm sorry… I guess I just feel really bad about what happened."

" Which, you getting married at 17, or you going on tour?" He said smirking, but noticed that maybe it was out of line, "I'm sorry Hales, and of course you're not sorry you were married… are you?"

" I don't know… I mean I'm defiantly not sorry for falling in love with Nathan because he should me how to love and it taught me so much, but I do regret getting married so young… I mean what was I thinking? I was 17! You probably thought I was crazy… everyone did. I just think that getting married ruined Nathans love and mine. I don't think we were meant to be. If anything, that's what going on tour showed me." She said as she lay down on his bed, and he walked over to her and lay down next to her.

"You know what I think? I think that when you and Nathan fell in love, it was the first time for both of you and you loved the feeling, but you never really knew what it would feel like to fall _out_ of love with someone. You guys got married and maybe it did show you guys that you weren't meant to be together, but maybe you guys weren't meant for each other in the first place." He said softly not wanting to hurt her feelings, but to his surprise she started to laugh. He looked over at her confused but began to laugh too, just at the site of seeing her so happy made him happy, "What's so funny?"

" I don't know… you just make me laugh Lucas because you're probably just saying that because you _never_ liked the idea of me and Nathan together." She said looking him in the eye, as she stopped laughing.

" You're right, I never really did. I mean I guess I got used to it, but just with Nathan's history, I thought you deserved someone better. Someone who would be there for you no matter what and support you in your decisions even if it wasn't the best for them, because you mean everything to them. That's who you deserve." He said so softly that she could barely hear him. They lay there looking each other in the eye.

" I miss us, Luke. I miss when it was just me and you." Haley said, breaking the silence, "Part of me came home to see Nathan, but a big part of me also came home for you. You're my best friend." She moved closer to him and he wrapped his arms around her small body, they both felt safe and loved in each other's arms.

"You're my best friend too, Hales" Luke whispered and then kissed the top of her head. But at that moment, Luke felt like kissing her not just on her head, but also on her lips.

'_What am I thinking… this is Haley. But she looks so beautiful just laying here in my arms. Stop! I can't think of her like that!" _He thought to himself. It was the first time he had thought of her more than a friend, and it wouldn't be the last.

**Will Haley reciprocate Luke's feelings? STAY TUNED! **

**I love every Luke and Haley story line! Hopefully they'll get together next season!**


	5. Chapter 5

Peyton sat on her bed the next morning, contemplating the decision that she had to make. Going with Nathan sounded so appealing to her right now. There was nothing in Tree Hill for her at this moment. No one would even really notice if she was gone… well maybe Lucas, but she knew that he would be spending as much time as he could with Haley so they could make up for the time that was lost. There was no real reason that she couldn't go. Well, of course except the one that she was afraid of…. Nathan.

When she thought of spending a whole summer with Nathan…. alone, she got excited, and that was what scared her. Thinking of that time in his room, and all of the other times that she remembered she had spent with him, had gotten her thinking a lot of their relationship now. They had been spending a lot of time together, and feelings were starting to come back, she knew that he felt the same way. The whole time that Jake was in jail and she knew that what she was feeling for Nathan was wrong, she felt like the worst girlfriend. But Jake was gone and the chance to be with Nathan the whole summer was here………

Lucas opened his eyes as the morning sunlight shone through his window. He looked down at Haley who was still lying in his arms. He couldn't help but notice how beautiful she looked as the sunrays shone against her long brown hair. He ran his hand across the soft skin of her arm; he moved it up and brushed away a piece of hair that had fallen in her face. Her eyes slowly opened and she started to smile.

"Morning, Luke" she said quietly.

"Morning, Hales… have a good night sleep?" He asked, but then became aware that he was still holding her against him, but he didn't do anything to stop it.

"Yes… the best one in awhile" She said smiling, "Thanks for dealing with me last night Luke."

He laughed, "Yea well it's a hard job, dealing with you, but I figured that somebody had to do it." He responded jokingly.

"Excuse me!" She pushed him away and got out of bed, much to his disappointment, " That was very rude." He lay there laughing at her.

"You are such a dork."

"Yea, the dork that you are going to take around town today, because I feel like I haven't been here in forever." He got out of bed and started to make it, as she leaned over and started to help him on the other side.

"Ok, where to first?" He smiled at her. He always smiled when it came to Haley. And he was just starting to realize that maybe when he smiled because of her, it wasn't just because they were best friends; it was because he felt more towards her.

**Sorry so short……….what do u think I should do next?**


	6. Chapter 6

'_I guess Peyton isn't coming….' _Nathan thought to himself as he stood outside, packing his car with all of his suitcases. _' I really thought that she might…. Who am I kidding? I really **hoped** that she might because she'll keep me company. And lets face it, no one is better company than Peyton.'_ He continued to think about this while he persistently packed the car.

"Hey! You have room for 2 more suitcases in there?" Peyton called from behind Nathan. He turned around and as soon as he saw her, a huge grin appeared on his face.

"I knew you couldn't stay away from me." He responded cockily. She laughed as she tried to drag the two, obviously heavy, suitcases to the car, "Here, let me help you with that."

"Oh… what a gentlemen you are. When did that happen? I never remember that from when we were going out." She said smiling, as he lifted the suitcases into the trunk of the car.

"Whatever, I was the best boyfriend you ever had, and you know it." They laughed and shut the trunk. Nathan looked over at Peyton, who brushed her hair back behind her face, " I'm really glad that you decided to come. I mean not to get all corny, but you are the only person I could imagine taking this trip with."

She smiled, because she knew that he wasn't joking around anymore, this was really how he felt. She pulled him into her arms and hugged him tightly, "Thank you for inviting me to go, this is exactly what I need right now." She said to him, as they continued to hug each other.

"No problem…. We should probably get going." Nathan said hesitantly, not really wanting to let go of her. But they did and they got in the car and pulled out of the driveway.

"So how long is this drive, exactly?" Peyton asked curiously

" Ummm… its about 7 hours. Oh and when I called the hotel to ask about how the rooms were set up for this camp, they said that I was alone, but if I had someone staying with me then that was ok, so we'll have to stay in the same room… is that ok?" Nathan asked, hopeful.

Peyton smiled, "Of course it is! That's actually what I was hoping in the first place."

He smiled as he looked at her. He had thought about her all of last night. Which was weird because he was expecting himself to think about Haley, but she didn't even cross his mind once. He didn't sleep because he was too excited about the prospect of being alone with Peyton for 2 months. And now as they were driving, he couldn't stop thinking about how much he missed her, and how much he regretted being such a jerk to her when they went out. And he knew that if he ever got the chance to start over with her and go out with her or kiss her again, then he would take it right away. No questions asked.


	7. Chapter 7

Nathan and Peyton walked to the front desk of the Hilton Hotel. After a seven-hour drive, they were both excited of the idea of getting to their room and falling into a deep sleep.

"Hello, welcome to the Hilton. What may I do for you?" The young women asked.

" Hi, my name is Nathan Scott and I am part of the High Flyers camp that is going on, and I just wanted to check in to my room." Responded, Nathan. He looked over and smiled at Peyton, while the lady looked on the computer for their room information. The drive up would have sucked if he had driven alone, but it was amazing how much difference Peyton could have on that. He was definantly feeling what he used to towards her, both the romantic and sexual feelings. Yes, he was partly ashamed on how he seemed to be moving on from Haley so fast, but then again he wasn't… they hadn't been together for a while now. Besides, something told Nathan that if him and Peyton were to get together again, it would be different and not just sexual.

"Here you go sir." The lady said as she handed him her key, "Please enjoy your stay and have fun at camp." She said politely.

They reached the elevators and Nathan pressed the button to go up. "God I can't wait to go to bed." Peyton said as she stretched her arms above her head as they stepped into the elevator.

"Yea, go to bed with me." Nathan joked.

"Ohhh… hahaha. Very good one Nate. You know, now I remember why I broke up with you…. Because you were an ignorant jerk." She said, smirking.

"Whatever Peyton, I was the best you ever had in bed and you know it." He said loudly and began to silently laugh as everyone on the elevator looked over in disgust. Peyton looked pissed but then began to laugh silently as well. They started to crack up as they walked off the elevator and down the hall towards their room.

"Oh my god, Nathan…. talk just a little loud, huh?"

He laughed," You know I do it just to bug you, Peyt." He said as he opened the door and they walked inside. They were laughing until they looked around the room.

"Hey, isn't there something missing in here? OH, that's right, another bed!" Peyton said sarcastically after they both noticed that there was only one bed instead of two.

"Yea, this is definantly a mistake. I'm calling down there right now." He said as he picked up the phone and dialed down to the front desk.

"Hi, I'm in room 223 and there is sort of a problem. We asked for a room with 2 beds and there is only one."…"Right"…."I see"…. "Ok". He hung up the phone and looked over at Peyton who was sitting at the table.

"Well?" She asked,

"Umm, well I guess because of the camp, all of the rooms are booked and because I called to let them know about the beds so late, there is no chance to change rooms."

"So you mean that we have to share a bed?" She asked slowly and he nodded smiling, trying not to make her mad,"Ok, whatever. Lets just go to bed now, ok?" She grabbed her stuff and walked into the bathroom to change in her pajamas, leaving Nathan alone in the room.

'_Oh my god I can't believe that we are sharing a bed. This is going to be very interesting….'_ Nathan thought to himself, as he got ready. Peyton walked out of the bathroom a few minutes later and they both got into bed together as Nathan turned off the light.

"Hmmm…. This is weird." Peyton said quietly.

"What is?" He asked.

"This…. Us…. In bed together. This hasn't happened for awhile."

"No it hasn't, but of course we're not going to have sex, so it's not the same." He said teasingly.

"We didn't only have sex Nathan. I thought you might remember all the times we would just talk, but I guess I was wrong." She responded defensively. It was quiet for a moment as they sat there thinking about the past.

"You don't think I remember? Of course I remember Peyton, how could I forget? Everyone always thought both of us were in it only for the sex, but they were wrong. I loved talking to you and I still do. I didn't forget, Peyton, don't think that I did." Nathan said sincerely, breaking the silence between them. Peyton was shocked, not that he remembered, but that he said all of that. She leaned over and hugged him. He was surprised at first, but then wrapped his arms around her. Her aroma and warmth flooding around him.

This is what he remembered, lying utterly silent with Peyton. Unlike with Haley, him and Peyton didn't have to talk to know how they felt about each other…. entirely in love.

**Hey everyone! Sorry I haven't updated for a while! Hopefully you enjoyed! Please review! I love hearing feedback! **

**OH! If you haven't noticed, I haven't mentioned Dan and the whole fire thing. That's because I don't know what happened and don't know what should happen in the show. Plus, I hate Dan and hope he does die, and don't want to write about him!**


	8. Chapter 8

It had been 2 weeks since Haley had returned to Tree Hill, and though she still was upset about Nathan, there was something that was keeping her happy also. This something was Lucas. They had hung out everyday, all day… well at least when they were available, and Haley had loved every minute of it. And why wouldn't she? Luke was her best friend and they hadn't had any quality "Haley and Lucas" time for a while now. Even before she left, they still didn't as much of each other as they would of liked to. But now they could have as much of it as they wanted to.

Haley walked into Karen's Café expecting to see it pretty crowded since it was the busiest time of the day, but she saw that no one was in there.

"Uh… hello? Lucas?" She called out, but no one answered. She was just about to leave when Lucas called her.

"Hales? Didn't you see the sign on the door, it says "CLOSED"?" He asked her.

"Umm no," She responded as she sat down at the counter, looking up at him, "Why is it closed?"

" Well it was supposed to be a surprise, but I closed it down for the day so you could get the day off." He said smiling at her.

She smiled back, "And why, Lucas Scott, would you want to get me the day off," knowing full well what his answer was.

"Haley James, I know that you know," He walked around the counter, she spun her chair around to face him, "It's our official 12 year anniversary of becoming friends, don't tell me you forgot?" Luke asked, a hurt look on his face.

She laughed as she stood up in front of him, of _course _I remember! How could I forget, I just didn't say anything because I wanted to see if you would remember! Now, tell me, what does this eventful day have in store?" she asked smirking at him.

"Uh uh uh," he said pointing a finger at him, "You, my dear friend are way to curious, you always have been and I'm afraid that you always will be. You'll just have to wait and see, I've planned the whole day out, so we better get going." He said turning around reaching for his coat, " This day is dedicated to you, because you are my best friend, and I would do anything for you." He said smiling, but stopped when he saw the look in her face, "Hales, what's wrong?"

She looked into his eyes, "Nothing Luke, everything is perfect, you're perfect. I can't believe that you're doing all of this for me." She smiled and kissed him on the check, "You're the best friend every girl dreams of." She walked past him and out the door.

Luke took a deep breath. There it was again, _best friend, _that's what they were, nothing more. He pulled on his coat, trying to block out the thought that kept nagging him. _I officially have fallen for my best friend, my Haley. This can't be happening, I know that she'll never feel that way for me…._

Sorry it took so long to update! Been busy! But now I'm back on track and ready to write!


	9. Chapter 9

Peyton looked around the pool, trying to find an open lounge chair to lie on, once she found one, she walked over to it, sat down and pulled out her drawing notebook. She hadn't drawn at all during the 2 weeks that she had spent here with Nathan and she knew the reason why. When Peyton drew, she drew what she felt and what had been going on in her life. She was afraid of what might happen if she started to draw, afraid that Jake would somehow creep back up into her mind… but also afraid that Nathan would too. She wasn't sure which one scared her more. So she just began to draw the first thing that popped into her mind. Somehow that ended up being Nathan and her cuddling in bed, which they had done not only that first night, but every other night as well.

"Excuse me… your Peyton, right?" A pretty blonde young woman who looked about Peyton's age asked as she sat down in the chair next to her.

"Yea, that's me. Umm… do I know you?" She asked politely. The girl started to laugh.

"Well, no not really, but I know of you. My name is Cara, my boyfriend, Jason, is in the high flyers camp too. I guess him and Nathan are friends or something."

"Oh yea, I've met Jason. But how come I've never met you? Are you not staying here?"

"I just got in yesterday, my parents weren't really sure if they wanted me to spend the a whole 2 months with Jason in a hotel, so they didn't let me come down the first two weeks, so now I get a month and a half with him. I mean like that's going to stop us from doing anything." They laughed.

"Well I'm glad that there's another girl my age here, I mean when I'm with Nathan its good, but during the day it gets kind of lonely." Cara nodded in understanding.

"So how long have you and Nathan been going out?"

"What? Oh, Nathan, and me we're not together… I mean, we used to be, but… we're just not going out now." Peyton responded nervously.

Cara smiled," Oh, sorry, I just thought that since you were in the same room and you're staying with him that maybe…"

"Oh yea, well we're just friends, that's it," She said, hoping that she didn't sound too disappointed.

Cara smirked, "Well then why are you guys cuddling?" When she saw Peyton's confused look she pointed to her drawing, "That is you and Nathan, right?"

"Yea…well…" A sense of relief filled her when she saw Nathan and Jason walking towards them; she quickly hid her drawing as Nathan walked up beside her.

"Hey Peyt." He said happily as he bent down and hugged her; she smiled widely as he did so.

"Ewww… you're all sweaty." She told him as they separated.

"Yea and hot too," He winked at her jokingly. She rolled her eyes at him and looked over at Jason and Cara who were now passionately making out.

Nathan coughed loudly, as if to tell them to stop. They pulled apart and looked over at them smiling.

"Sorry" They said together, Peyton and Nathan started to laugh.

"It's ok, me and Peyton used to be the same way." James and Nathan laughed, while Cara caught Peyton's eye and smiled knowingly.

"So Peyton, I guess you met Cara, I hope you don't mind her, she's kind of a pain," He smiled as Cara hit him on the arm.

Peyton smiled, "Yea I did, she's actually really cool."

"Good, because a bunch of the guys were going to this club tonight and you two girls are coming too." James said as Peyton and Cara nodded in unison, Peyton was ready for a night out.

"Well me and Peyton might be a little late," He told them as he put his hand upon her shoulder and she looked up at him confusedly, "I'm taking her out to dinner."

"You are? Why?" Peyton asked as he looked down into her eyes.

"Because you're you, and I want to thank you."

"For what?"

"For being you." They looked deeply into one another's eyes, and what Peyton saw there made her smile widely.

**What do you guys think? Please Review lots!**


	10. Chapter 10

Lucas parked the car in front of the elementary school playground and looked over at Haley who had a confused look on her face.

"Umm, ok, Tree Hill Elementary… this is where you are taking me?" She asked curiously.

"Just wait, you'll understand in a few minutes." He got out of the car and rushed around to open the door for her. He offered her his hand, which she gladly accepted. Lucas pulled her towards the playground, holding tightly onto her hand. He stopped in front of the swings.

"Do you recognize this spot?" He asked intriguingly.

Haley looked around, well aware that they were still holding hands but for some reason she didn't want to pull away, "Well it's swings so…."

Lucas turned facing her, "It's not just any set of swings, Hales. This is our set of swings. This is the very place that we met," He paused staring into her beautiful brown eyes, "You were swinging on that swing right here, and I was on the one two down. I was there minding my own business when I heard a girl crying by me, I looked over and there you were."

Haley smiled, the memory coming back to her. She stared back into Luke's bright blue eyes and could see something in them… something she hadn't seen before from Luke.

"So I had to go over and see if you were ok, I sat down next to you and asked you what was wrong. And you, in a shaking voice, told me that Bobby Johnson had taken your favorite pencil and hadn't given it back." He smiled at Haley as she started to laugh.

"It was my favorite, it had pink polka-dots and a big fuzzy, furry thing by the eraser. I loved that pencil…"

"I know, that's why I ran over to the monkey bars where Bobby Johnson was playing and told him to give you back your pencil. Of course he said no, but I told him that I would tell everyone that that he was too afraid to go down the slide because it was to high up for him. He got really mad, but threw your pencil at me and ran away. You were so happy when I gave it to you that you jumped up and kissed me on the cheek, and that was the beginning of our friendship." He finished looking back down at her. She was smiling at him hugely; he couldn't help but notice how beautiful of a smile it was.

"I can't believe that you remember all of that." She said softly.

"Yea well that's not the only thing that I remember."

"What do you mean?" He reluctantly let go of her hand and jogged off.

"Come and see…" He called out. She shook her head smiling, but jogged after him anyway. Once she caught up to him, he was standing in front of the basketball hoop. He turned and looked at her, grinning, "This is my first memory of basketball... do you want to know what this has to do with you?" She nodded curiously.

"For my 7th birthday, you got me my first basketball. Most boys have one earlier, but since Dan wasn't around, my mom never thought about it so she never got me one, but you did. I was so excited to play with it that I brought it to school the next day and waited until recess. You came out here with me watching from the side as I took my first shot, which I missed. You laughed at me and I got really mad at you, but you just came over to me and took the ball. You told me how to stand and how to position my hands… your dad had taught you. So I hesitantly took your advice, but when I shot the way you told me, I got it. I've been shooting that exact way ever since." He said in a proud tone.

She smiled at him, "Really? So basically all of your basketball skills are because of me…" She grinned widely. And he smiled too, but turned and jogged away again, which this time she followed immediately up to where he was standing by the teeter-totter. Once he saw that she was standing beside him, he started to talk again.

"In 5th grade I got my first girlfriend, her name was Sara Lushcick. It was a deep romance, one that I'll always remember, " He joked as they laughed together, "But it was cut short when Sara decided that she liked none other then Bobby Johnson, himself. Yes, I know, shocking. So right here, she decided to tell me that her and Bobby had been having a secret relationship, she chose to tell me this right in front of everyone. I didn't know what to say as she broke up with me, but you did, because you came up and stood right next to me and grabbed my hand. You lied to Sara and told her that me and you had been having a secret relationship too and that she didn't deserve me because I was cool and she was not." He looked at her intently, "You stood by my side, and that hasn't changed." He said in serious tone.

"Lucas…" She breathed softly, walking towards him.

"Nope were not done yet, there's one more place to go," He said grabbing her hand once more and leading her to the old oak tree that stood right by the school, "This is where we used to lie every recess towards the end of 5th grade. It was the last day of elementary school and we were talking about junior high. This is where we made the pact that we would be friends forever, no matter what happened. I even remember saying that when one of us got married, we would stay best friends. Well we did just that… and we still have tons of years to stay best friends." He said, as he looked down at her, his face suddenly serious.

Haley looked up at him, emotion filled her as tears started to fall from her eyes. Lucas reached out and wiped them from her. She wrapped her arms around him and leaned into his neck, breathing in his scent.

"Do you remember the pact, Hales?" He felt her nod her head.

"I remember it all, Luke." She whispered

**I love this chapter! Do you? Hopefully! There's more Lucas and Haley coming up in the next one, then back over to Nathan and Peyton!**


	11. Chapter 11

Thanks for the reviews! I'm open to suggestions! Please continue to review!

Lucas pulled on his suit jacket as he got ready to take Haley out to dinner that same night and he looked in to the mirror. His hair was in his usual messy style and he looked the same as he usually did, but if you looked closely you could tell that there was something different about him. And he knew that Haley caused this change.

He didn't know exactly when it had begun, but that night when Haley came back, something changed. Now, he looks at her and he gets butterflies in his stomach because he can't help but notice how beautiful she is. When he goes to meet her somewhere, he gets excited at the thought of just being with her. He can't get her off his mind, and lately he has been the first and last thing that he thinks about in a day.

Lucas knew that he was in love with his best friend, his Haley. It was something that he had never felt with Peyton or Brooke. Sure, he had told Brooke that he loved her, but the more he thought about it, he knew that he really wasn't, he just thought he was. There was something else that Luke knew… he could not tell Haley how he felt.

Even if she felt even a part of what he felt for her, he still wouldn't tell her because of Nathan. _'She's still getting over Nathan,' _He kept telling himself, _'So why can't I get over her?'_

He left his house and drove over to Haley's house. As he walked to her door, he started to get nervous. _'What if she notices that something's changed?'_ All he could do was hope that wouldn't. He was about to ring the doorbell, but the door opened before he had a chance.

"Finally, you're here! I was getting so anxious to find out where you were taking me for dinner, I started to pace around my family room." She finished, looking at him smiling.

"Hi" He said simply, looking at her, "You look amazing." And she really did, her hair fell straight just past her shoulders and she wore a plunging neckline, red dress.

"Are you sure?" She asked curiously, "Am I dressed up too much?" She asked as she twirled around so her dress flared out.

Lucas just shook his head, "No, you look perfect." They looked deeply into one another's eyes, but Luke had to pull away before he did something stupid, "Well, we should go eat, I'm starved." She followed him to the car and got in.

They reached the restaurant and Haley started to laugh, as they got out of the car, "Karen's Café? This is where you're taking me to eat?"

"Yep… let's go… but I have to take you up on the roof." They walked inside and up to the roof where it was lit up, but this is not what Haley noticed, she noticed the mini-golf course that lie in front of them.

Haley gasped, as tears started to form in her eyes, "I thought you took the mini–golf course down after I left?"

"I did, but right after I visited you in New York, I still had a little hope that you might still come back. See I was pissed at you for leaving, but I finally realized that you didn't betray me by leaving; it was something that you had to do. So I rebuilt it and you came back, Hales." Lucas finished softly.

Haley wiped away her tears, "Thank you Luke. This is amazing." She smiled then walked towards the golf course and looked at it, " I'm definantly beating you!" She said as she turned to look back at him.

He smiled greatly at her, "Well we'll just see about that, but first let's eat."

"Ok, Let's go back downstairs."

"No, you didn't notice, but we're eating over there." He said pointing to a candle light table in the corner.

Haley squealed in delight as she walked over to the table, "Luke, you are way to good to me!" He pulled out her chair as she sat down and smiled gratefully towards him, "So what's the fancy meal for tonight."

"Well only the best meal in town." He grinned and lifted the pot.

"Mac and Cheese! That's my favorite food!" Haley squealed.

"I know." He served the meal and sat down as they began to eat.

15 minutes later, Haley leaned back in her chair and sighed, "Wow, I'm full."

"Yea, I know, you couldn't stop chowing down." He said.

"Shut up! You know that I…" She was interrupted when music started to play through the speakers, "Luke… what's that?"

"Umm, I think that it's called music, " He said sarcastically as he stood up and offered her his hand, "Dance with me."

Haley smiled and accepted his hand. He pulled her close; their bodies were pressed against each other. They were closer than they ever had been before as they danced slowly to the music.

Lucas looked down at Haley and whispered softly in her ear, "I'm so happy you're back, Haled."

She looked up and saw that his eyes were so full of emotion, "I am too, Luke."

It took all Luke had not to lean down and kiss her soft lips right there, but he knew that he couldn't.

If only he knew that she had to hold back from doing the exact same thing that he wanted to do too.

**Do you like? REVIEW!**


	12. Chapter 12

**On to Peyton and Nathan! All you Neyton fans… You're going to love this chapter!**

Peyton slipped into her black dress, and looked at herself in the mirror. _'I look pretty good, I hope that Nathan will notice…'  
_Ever since that afternoon at the pool when she was talking to Cara, she knew that she couldn't deny it anymore… she was in love with Nathan. It was way different then before though, this time she couldn't stop thinking about him. She wanted to tell him, but she was also scared that he wasn't over Haley. _'But he is taking me out tonight… we'll see' _She anxiously thought.

"Peyton… are you ready yet?" Nathan asked through the door. She smiled, _'Typical boy…'_

She walked out, "Ok, Ok, I'm ready… but if I look horrible, then it's your fault for making me rush." Nathan looked up at her and saw that she looked beautiful.

"Peyton, you could never look horrible… especially right now." He said genuinely. She smiled as he led her out the door and down to the car, in fact she couldn't stop smiling the whole way to the restaurant.

"Umm, Nate… this is a really nice restaurant… are you sure that this isn't too much?" She asked as the waiter sat them down and handed them their menus.

"Peyt… like I said before, I wanted to thank you for coming down with me when I know that you didn't want to. I also want to just thank you for being you… I mean, I don't think that I could have gotten over Haley if it wasn't for you, you were there when I needed you the most." He finished looking into her blue eyes.

"Nathan, you don't need to thank me, I was just doing what you would've done for me. What you _did_ do for me with Jake." He smiled at her and nodded in appreciation then looked down at the menu. She had to ask something though, "So you said that you're over Haley?"

"Yea… I mean, there will always be part of me that loves her, but not IN love, because she was my wife, I mean I can't just forget that. But I know that I am over her." He stated sensitively," And you're over Jake?" He asked intriguingly.

"Yes I am. I'm over Jake. God it feels so good to say that… I mean, this is the second time he left me. I know he has to do what's right with Jenny, but it's not fair to me to be in a relationship with someone who can't be there for me. So, I'm over him." She looked up and saw something glowing in his eyes, something that she knew she returned.

They ordered their food and sat there with each other and talked about many different things. Once they were done, they paid and left the restaurant, where they then headed off to the club.

"Are you sure that you want to go in?" Nathan asked her as they started to walk in from the crowd.

"Yea… we should at least stay and say hi to Cara and Jason, don't you think?"

"Yea, but I just wanted to say… tonight was really fun and I'm glad you decided to come with me." He said softly as he bent down and kissed her on the cheek. She smiled at him and followed him in as he grabbed her hand and held it delicately in his own. Once the reached the inside of the club they were surrounded by loud music and many people dancing closely with each other.

"Peyton! Nathan! You came!" called a high voice that belonged to Cara who was walking over with Jason. She hugged Peyton and Jason and Nathan shook hands. They talked for a while, but soon the couple was off dancing once again.

"Would you like something to drink?" Nate asked Peyton.

"Yea, thanks." She said looking at him as he still held her hand.

"Ok you wait here and I'll be right back." He reluctantly let go of her hand and went off to the bar.

Peyton stood against a table watching all the people dancing. She hadn't been out like this for a long time, in fact the last club she went to be with Nathan. _'How ironic…_' She thought to herself. Out of the corner of her eye she saw that a guy was walking over to her. He was tall and had slicked back blonde hair_, 'eww. Definantly not my type…'_ she thought as he stood right in front of her.

"Hi, I'm Evan, what's your name, beautiful?" He asked boldly.

"Sorry I'm not interested" she responded as nice as she could as she started to back away, but he was soon right in front of her again," Ummm you're kind of close, could you back up a little?" She said getting frustrated.

Instead, he leaned in close to his ear and whispered, "Did it hurt? Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?"

She started to laugh, and slightly pushed him away," Clever did you think of that yourself?" She pushed him harder and walked away, trying to find Nathan.

But from 5 feet away, it didn't look like she was annoyed of him; in fact, to Nathan it looked like she was flirting with him. To Nathan it looked like she was laughing at a joke he told her close in her ear and teasingly tapped him away. To Nathan it seemed as though maybe he was wrong about trying to pursue Peyton again, maybe she wasn't into him like he thought. Before he saw her walk away, he walked the other direction.

"Hi, I'm Veronica… what's your name?" A short brunette asked seductively, that was wearing an outfit that showed more skin then it did clothing.

"Nathan, do you want to dance?" He asked as a new song came on.

"Sure" They walked to the dance floor and began to dance closely. She was grinding really close to him and normally this would have turned him on, but he kept thinking about Peyton and how much he would of rather be doing this with her, or even better just be in the hotel room talking with her.

But Peyton didn't know he was thinking this, all she knew was that he dancing with some slutty girl, extremely provocative.

She stood there for a minute, not knowing what to do. Nathan turned his head and saw her, they caught each others eye for a second, but Peyton decided not to stand there and feel stupid, she turned around and walked out of there vastly. He stood there, not knowing what to think, but he knew what he had to do… he ran out of there, leaving Veronica standing there confused, but Peyton wasn't outside so he got into his car and drove back to the hotel. Once he got there, he didn't stop running as he got inside and up to their room. Once inside of it, he heard her sobbing from the bathroom.

"Peyton… please come out, we need to talk." He said as he knocked on the door. He heard her moving around then the door opened and it revealed a red-eyed Peyton who pushed past him, and sat on the edge of the bed, "Ok, I know that you are mad at me and I can explain."

"Explain what? Why you took me out to dinner and kissed me on my cheek and held my hand, then moments later you're dancing with some slutty girl?" She said standing up, yelling at him.

He looked down ashamed, "Yea… wait! The only reason I was dancing with her was because I saw you flirting and laughing with some sleazy guy."

"What! That guy? Yea, he cornered me, and then I laughed at his stupid pick up line… I guess you missed the part where I pushed past him and went looking for you, huh?"

He looked at her slightly confused then started to smile," You went looking for me, huh?"

"Yea," She looked up at him and into his eyes," I'm just going to say this to get it out there… I've been having feelings towards you lately… strong feelings." She looked away, afraid of what his reaction would be.

Instead, she felt his hands upon her face and she looked up to see him right in front of her, he leaned down and kissed her softly at first, but then it became a passionate kiss as they walked over to the bed and he leaned her down as he lay on top of her, his tongue exploring her mouth.

They separated, breathing heavily, "I love you, Peyton." He said quietly.

She smiled widely, "I love you, too." He smiled too as he kissed her again, this time harder, putting his whole heart into it. His hands grazed down to her thighs and he lift up her dress to revel her body. Pretty soon they were bare.

"I want you inside of me Nathan… please." Peyton said softly into his ear, her body yearning for more. He nodded and kissed her deeper, once more before he entered her. And then they were one. Peyton moaned loudly as they moved faster and faster together.

When they had ended, they lay wrapped around each other, looking into one another's eyes, both knowing that their lives and changed greatly.

What do you guys think? I'm going to skip forward; I think a month because I want them all to be together again… what do u thinks?


	13. Chapter 13

Sorry it's taken a really long time to update! I'm going to try to do a couple more chapters, but school is starting so we will see how far I get! Just to let you know… I'm skipping like a month ahead and Nathan's camp is coming to an end and him and Peyton are preparing to come back home to tell everyone that they are together… and nothing has happened with Luke and Haley… yet…

Nathan put the last of his clothes in his suitcase, and he looked over at Peyton who was sitting on the window seat, looking out the window. He smiled and walked over and wrapped his arms around her, "watcha thinking?" He asked as he leaned down kissing her on her check. She smiled and turned her head to look up at him.

"Just thinking about how I don't want to leave. This has been amazing, I mean its like we've almost been living in this separate world, away form all the drama and people that we know is waiting for us back in Tree Hill", She sighed and turned around so she was facing him, "I mean, I love this… I love us, but I'm so afraid that when we get home, we're going to get torn apart."

Nathan shook is head, "No Peyton, I won't let us get torn apart, because being together is the only thing that makes sense to me."

"You mean that?" She asked softly. Instead of answering, he leaned down and kissed her softly on her lips, "Of course I mean it. Now we have to finish packing so we can get home!" He let go of her and walked over the suitcase and put the rest of his clothes in it and looked over at Peyton who was looking at him smiling, he smiled back and he knew that she was the right one for him, not Haley.

2 days later, Haley walked down the aisle, searching for the right notebook she needed for school, which was starting in 2 days. The past month had been amazing… her and Luke had become closer then ever, but she hadn't stopped thinking about the dinner they had shared upon the roof, the dinner where she had wanted to kiss him. She was so surprised at the feeling… Luke was her best friend, nothing more. She had never felt more towards him before. Well there was always that little idea in the back of her head that told her that they could end up together, but she never thought it true. But lately, she didn't know what she thought anymore, she didn't even really care… all she knew was that he made her feel amazing and she loved every minute spent with him.

"Haley… will you please hurry up! You said that all you needed was some notebooks and folders, so I agreed to go with you, but now I regret coming with. In fact, I regret ever becoming friends with you." Lucas complained, smirking as he followed her around the store. Haley mocked a pained look on her face, but then a smile appeared on it.

"Well, at least you said please." She said, laughing, and he joined in with her, "I promise I'll be done soon, just hold on..." She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Nathan coming around the corner.

"Nathan..." She said rapidly.

Nathan looked up, and stood there with a surprised look on his face, "Haley… Lucas… hi."

"Hey man, " Lucas said, holding out a hand which Nathan reluctantly shook, not forgetting what had happened before he left, "How was camp?" Lucas asked, looking down at Haley, who was standing there motionless and hadn't taken her eyes off of Nathan.

"Umm, it was really good. Plus, Peyton was there with me so it was really fun actually." Nathan said, but from the expression on Haley's face, he wasn't so sure that he should of mentioned Peyton, but figured that he better get it out in the open.

"Peyton was with you? I thought she went somewhere with her dad." Luke said surprised.

"Nope, she was with me. And umm… I guess you're going to find out eventually… Peyton, and me, well we're a couple again."

Haley felt like she was going to faint, _'Nathan and Peyton? Together?'_.

"Really?" Luke said, not sure how to react, he was more worried about Haley right now.

"Yea, but I got to get going, it was good to see you though. Hey? Are you guys going to the end of the year party?" Nathan asked as he started to back away.

"Yea, we are."

"Good, so I'll see you there tonight, then? Bye." He said as he waved and he quickly walked away.

Luke looked down at Haley who was standing there as if in a trance, "Haley, are you ok?"

"Yea I'm fine, you know, I don't really need folders, I mean we've been here for a really long time, so I don't want to make you stay here any longer, so let's go." She said grabbing her basket of stuff and walking towards the front.

"Haley seriously, aren't we going to talk about Nathan?" Luke said, standing in front of her so she couldn't keep walking.

"What about him?"

"Hmmm, I don't know, maybe the little fact that him and Peyton are together." He asked her concerned.

"No, they can do whatever they want, we're annulled. Now please move so we can leave because I have to get ready for the party tonight.

Luke hesitantly moved away from her and let her by. He knew that she wasn't ok, it was obvious, but he also knew that with Haley he had to wait until she wanted to talk about it, not force her upon it. _'Tonight was definantly going to be an interesting night_.' Luke thought as he followed Haley to the register.


	14. Chapter 14

Sorry it's taken a really long time to update! I'm going to try to do a couple more chapters, but school is starting so we will see how far I get! Just to let you know… I'm skipping like a month ahead and Nathan's camp is coming to an end and him and Peyton are preparing to come back home to tell everyone that they are together… and nothing has happened with Luke and Haley… yet…

Nathan put the last of his clothes in his suitcase, and he looked over at Peyton who was sitting on the window seat, looking out the window. He smiled and walked over and wrapped his arms around her, "watcha thinking?" He asked as he leaned down kissing her on her check. She smiled and turned her head to look up at him.

"Just thinking about how I don't want to leave. This has been amazing, I mean its like we've almost been living in this separate world, away form all the drama and people that we know is waiting for us back in Tree Hill", She sighed and turned around so she was facing him, "I mean, I love this… I love us, but I'm so afraid that when we get home, we're going to get torn apart."

Nathan shook is head, "No Peyton, I won't let us get torn apart, because being together is the only thing that makes sense to me."

"You mean that?" She asked softly. Instead of answering, he leaned down and kissed her softly on her lips, "Of course I mean it. Now we have to finish packing so we can get home!" He let go of her and walked over the suitcase and put the rest of his clothes in it and looked over at Peyton who was looking at him smiling, he smiled back and he knew that she was the right one for him, not Haley.

2 days later, Haley walked down the aisle, searching for the right notebook she needed for school, which was starting in 2 days. The past month had been amazing… her and Luke had become closer then ever, but she hadn't stopped thinking about the dinner they had shared upon the roof, the dinner where she had wanted to kiss him. She was so surprised at the feeling… Luke was her best friend, nothing more. She had never felt more towards him before. Well there was always that little idea in the back of her head that told her that they could end up together, but she never thought it true. But lately, she didn't know what she thought anymore, she didn't even really care… all she knew was that he made her feel amazing and she loved every minute spent with him.

"Haley… will you please hurry up! You said that all you needed was some notebooks and folders, so I agreed to go with you, but now I regret coming with. In fact, I regret ever becoming friends with you." Lucas complained, smirking as he followed her around the store. Haley mocked a pained look on her face, but then a smile appeared on it.

"Well, at least you said please." She said, laughing, and he joined in with her, "I promise I'll be done soon, just hold on..." She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Nathan coming around the corner.

"Nathan..." She said rapidly.

Nathan looked up, and stood there with a surprised look on his face, "Haley… Lucas… hi."

"Hey man, " Lucas said, holding out a hand which Nathan reluctantly shook, not forgetting what had happened before he left, "How was camp?" Lucas asked, looking down at Haley, who was standing there motionless and hadn't taken her eyes off of Nathan.

"Umm, it was really good. Plus, Peyton was there with me so it was really fun actually." Nathan said, but from the expression on Haley's face, he wasn't so sure that he should of mentioned Peyton, but figured that he better get it out in the open.

"Peyton was with you? I thought she went somewhere with her dad." Luke said surprised.

"Nope, she was with me. And umm… I guess you're going to find out eventually… Peyton, and me, well we're a couple again."

Haley felt like she was going to faint, _'Nathan and Peyton? Together?'_.

"Really?" Luke said, not sure how to react, he was more worried about Haley right now.

"Yea, but I got to get going, it was good to see you though. Hey? Are you guys going to the end of the year party?" Nathan asked as he started to back away.

"Yea, we are."

"Good, so I'll see you there tonight, then? Bye." He said as he waved and he quickly walked away.

Luke looked down at Haley who was standing there as if in a trance, "Haley, are you ok?"

"Yea I'm fine, you know, I don't really need folders, I mean we've been here for a really long time, so I don't want to make you stay here any longer, so let's go." She said grabbing her basket of stuff and walking towards the front.

"Haley seriously, aren't we going to talk about Nathan?" Luke said, standing in front of her so she couldn't keep walking.

"What about him?"

"Hmmm, I don't know, maybe the little fact that him and Peyton are together." He asked her concerned.

"No, they can do whatever they want, we're annulled. Now please move so we can leave because I have to get ready for the party tonight.

Luke hesitantly moved away from her and let her by. He knew that she wasn't ok, it was obvious, but he also knew that with Haley he had to wait until she wanted to talk about it, not force her upon it. _'Tonight was definantly going to be an interesting night_.' Luke thought as he followed Haley to the register.


End file.
